Me and My Christmas Familiar (An MM Monster Christmas)

Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8

W ith Kit tucked inside Lachlan’s robes, they walked past wooden stalls filled with greenery, bright candles, and floating globes. The stalls sold all sorts of things: glass and wooden ornaments, wreaths, nuts, chocolate, dancing lanterns. One stall even drew festive portraits.

They passed several trees decorated with bright shiny balls that Kit felt the urge to jump at and hit. But Kit stayed put, content and cosy, nestled against Lachlan’s chest. He could feel his witch’s heartbeat against him.

The air grew heavier with the scent of meat. Kit’s head swivelled. A large circular tray hung over a pile of glowing charcoals. Smoke rose into the air.

Kit’s mouth salivated.

Lachlan laughed and headed towards the stall. “I can feel your hunger, Kit.”

A large ogre with a shiny bald head approached them.

“I’ll take some chicken and venison please,” Lachlan said.

“Sure thing.” The ogre turned and picked up some tongs. She grabbed at the meat. Juices glistened and dripped as she placed the slabs into a napkin. “Here you are.”

“Thank you.” Lachlan handed her some coins and took the meat.

Kit’s claws dug into Lachlan’s chest as he stretched his neck towards it.

“I know. I know. It’s coming.” Lachlan laughed as he grabbed a bit and held it out to Kit.

Kit snapped it up, chewing the delicious smoky, succulent meat. He licked his lips as Lachlan fed him another piece. And then another. And still more came. Until finally, his stomach stretched, and he could not eat another bite of the divine morsels.

Lachlan ate the last few strips, smiling down at Kit. “It’s amazing. You’re full.”

He threw the napkin, soaked with meat juices into a small fire they passed. He licked at his fingers.

His smile turned to a pensive frown. “I still don’t know what happened with you and Tony.” Lachlan rested a hand on Kit.

Kit could feel his witch’s confusion and uncertainty. Kit wished he could explain and tell Lachlan that he just hadn’t liked how close Tony was to Lachlan. How it had made him feel angry.

Only Kit should touch Lachlan. After all, Lachlan was Kit’s witch. But he couldn’t speak the words, so he meowed instead.

Lachlan’s lip quirked. “Tony is a nice man. I hope you can get along with him. He treats Ordelia very well.” Lachlan stared ahead as he walked.

Guilt clawed at Kit’s chest. He wanted to make Lachlan happy. Not sad.

Maybe he would try not to hiss or attack Tony the next time he saw him. Although, that would be hard if Tony touched Lachlan. But he could try.

Snowflakes floated down. Normally, Kit hated the snow. To him, snow meant cold and wet fur. But tonight, tucked inside Lachlan’s robes, pressed against Lachlan’s warm body, hiding away beneath Lachlan’s pointy wide-brimmed hat, the snow couldn’t reach Kit. He snuggled closer.

“Thirteen years ago, when I was pretty young, my mother and father died.” Lachlan’s throat bobbed. “It was tough.”

His parents died. Just like mine.

With a jolt, Kit knew it to be true. His parents had died. That was how he’d lost them. But he couldn’t remember how they’d died. Or when.

“I’m the third youngest. Lacy is the second. Trent is the youngest.” Sadness pulsed through their bond.

Kit rubbed his face against Lachlan’s chest, trying to comfort his witch.

“Me, Lacy, and Trent cried constantly. We didn’t really understand what had happened. Grady and Jack, the two eldest, were rarely in the apartment. They worked constantly in the bakery and also took other jobs to earn more money.” Lachlan paused.

“That next eldest was Ordelia and Cas. They took over looking after the youngest of us, whilst still working long hours in the bakery. Looking back, I realise just how young they were at the time.” Lachlan shook his head.

“They’d work in the bakery, then take turns coming up to check on us, feed us, clean us, and comfort us. I remember Ordelia spending many nights holding me whilst I cried. Trent and I often slept in her bed. Lacy often slept in Cas’s.”

Lachlan stared ahead. “I think back on how hard that was for them, having to care for us whilst also grieving. And then a few years ago, Tony came along.” Lachlan licked his lips. “And Ordelia smiled.

“I realised I hadn’t seen her smile in years, not since before Mother and Father died. It was a shock. Everyone else in the family smiled. But she’d stopped completely. Until Tony.” Lachlan looked down at Kit. “So you need to be nice to Tony. Because he makes my sister smile.”

Kit could feel the seriousness of his witch’s words. Guilt wiggled unpleasantly inside his full belly. He squirmed against Lachlan’s chest and managed to get his arm free, then he reached up and placed his paw on Lachlan’s throat.

Kit would be nice to Tony, even if he didn’t like Tony near his witch. Because it was important to Lachlan. And he would be a good familiar.

They left the markets. The cobblestone streets grew emptier the further they got from the town square and the Christmas markets.

Lachlan leaned down and pressed a kiss to Kit’s head. “You know, I don’t think I’m actually the strongest witch in my family. I’m the strongest hearth and kitchen witch. Because my affinity is for the type of witch I am. Ordelia’s affinity is healing. Grady’s is protection. But they’re both strong witches too.” He paused.

“But it’s nice to be good at something,” Lachlan mused. “It’s nice to stand out sometimes.”

As they walked the darkened streets, Kit spotted the gargoyle on top of a building.

Lachlan followed his gaze. “That gargoyle has been in the area for years. Always perched on rooftops, still as stone, staring down, watching over us.”

They walked for several minutes in silence.

“I love my family,” Lachlan said. “But sometimes I find it hard to talk to them. They’re all so busy, and they seem to have so much going on. Ordelia has a husband, a baby, and a stepson. And Trent, he’s the youngest, he often stays with Ordelia and her family.” Lachlan gave a tight smile.

“Trent was only five when our parents passed away. Ordelia became almost like a second mother to Trent.” Lachlan hesitated. “I wish I could spend more time with Ordelia and be able to stay with them too. But they don’t really have room for both of us at her place. And Ordelia is always so busy now.” Lachlan’s throat bobbed.

Kit could feel the loneliness flowing from him.

“I always feel loved by them. But I don’t always feel like I can talk to them.” He looked down at Kit. He smiled. “But now I have you.”

And I have you too. Kit wished he could speak the words.

Because he’d been lonely too, for so long. And Kit wanted Lachlan to know how important he was to Kit and how he’d saved him from not just the hunger and the cold but the aching, never-ending loneliness.

Lachlan was Kit’s whole world.

Snippets of a lullaby sung long ago drifted into his mind. Human voices, his parents’ voices, singing to Kit as they comforted him.

He wished he could sing to Lachlan and comfort him and show he cared.

Kit meowed, trying to sing the words. Lachlan smiled and scratched his head.

But meowing wasn’t the same as singing.

For a brief moment, he longed for his parents and wished he could remember them better. But he pushed those thoughts and that pain aside. He didn’t need to remember those times.

Not now. Not ever.

Because now he was Kit, Lachlan’s cat familiar, and Lachlan was his witch. He didn’t need anything else. This was all he needed to be happy.